The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-11-22
fSpecial Correspondence. !

Special Correspondence
New YORK, Nov. OIL am an Anar-
chist."
A woman was the speaker--an intelli-
gent looking, well dressed woman, whose
AGE was not over 80 and whose maLner
was ladylike. The statement was not
made with particular emphasis boastfully,
but quietly and In the course Of IA talk on
the spread of Socialism. After leaving
the fair follower OF Herr Most, ] Glanced
10 meet, the same evening" an acquaint-
ance who had been On the police force In
Germany az time when much trouble
was had with Anarchists and Socialists
Upon my telling him Of my conversation
with the woman Anarchist mentioned, he
said:
"while was in Germany had III ex-
perience with woman Anarchist, nut one
who was OF different class Of life than
the one YOU met today. The city In which
I was had become greatly excited through
fear OF an Anarchist uprising, and was
one OF "A number OF men detailed as de
tectives 10 watch persons suspected OF be
ing Anarchists or Ia sympathy with them.
The names Of several women were on the
suspected list. aud my detail was To watch
one OF them particularly. Her name was
Lem Diedricksen. Ii was reported that
she was the leader Of small band OF the
Anarchists. and had become as expert In
the use of the rifle at their secret meet
ings rs many Of her male companions
remember well how she looked the first
day saw her. She was about % years
old. OF medium height, and bad a strong
and shapely figure. Her features were
regular, her complexion clear, and her
face as whole showed a good deal oil
character She was pronounced blonde
with large and clear blue eyes. she lived
with her father, who was a middle aged
man spending most OF his time writing
articles for the SOcialistic papers. Their
home was a story and a hall tumoled
down house on the outskirts OF the city.
II had not been on the case many days
before | learned enough 10 convince me
that IL was not love o. the cause
alone that made this young woman such
n jealous Anarchist | discovered what
| believed 20 he the secret Of her life. Be
cause Of wrong re fancied one OF the
police captains hal done her, she had
Joined the ranks Of the Anarchists for re-
yenge Several years before she had mis-
interpreted a number Of acts Of Kindness
on the part Of the officer, and being OF an
imaginative nature had fallen desperately
in love with him. Consequently not long
afterward, when he ceased 70 notice her
and married another girl, she became flu
rious. No force Of argument could per-
suade her that she had not been basely
deceived. and she brooded over this one
idea until she had but one object In mind.
That was the death of the officer. Natur-
ally her father aud his Anarchist friends
encouraged her hatred Of the police, and
II was not long before she had joined
heartily In their ideas and plans.
That the girl had become very active
among them, and had, In fact, become a
sort OF leader, quickly discovered. One
day | CHANGED upon information verifying
the report that she was the leader OF Il
band OF twelve men, and that Il " met
frequently In secret. But where they met
| couldn't find ont.
1T was on the night Of a widespread
and serious riot, when a number OF po-
icemen and others were killed by an up
rising Of the Anarchists, that | saw the
woman In full war paint. After a volley
Ind been fired into the mob saw her,
waving red flag and followed closely by
about O dozen desperate looking men.
make the liveLest sort of an attack upon
the company Of police headed by the cap
tain whom she so bitterly hated. The ar
rival at rae same moment OF relief squad
was probably the only thing that saved
his life shall never forget the sight OF
that frenzied woman, with an expression
on her face Of intense hatred, leading that
band OF men through the smoke and in
the very face OF the bullets. Several Of
her followers were killed in the riot, and
she and the rest OF them disappeared so
quickly In the confusion and darkness that
none was caught.
"As was only 10 be expected, the threats
made the next day by the Anarchists were
loud and bitter In going around among
them made an important discovery. one
who had become thoroughly frightened at
the result Of the uprising on the night
previous told me that Red Lona'-this
was her name among them-And her Dand
were TO meet that night and each take an
oath to Kill at the first opportunity tie
mon whose death the woman had decreed.
OF course the first thing did WAS TO warn
the police captain, and the next was to
prepare to keep the closest possible watch
upon Red Lena and her gang OF cut
throat4, all Of whom | knew pretty well
by sight 10y that time. But even then
hadn't the slightest clew as 10 their place
of meeting. Then came the mystery
II had obtained my information late IN
the afternoon With .rusty assistants
had gone az once TO Red Lena's home and
had made full preparation 20 have her fol
lowed I'm every movement. But there
was no sign Of her, neither on that night
the next dag aid night nor the day fol
lowing And what was stranger still
couldn't Get upon single trace of any OF
her followers That their disappearance
had aroused an unusual commotion among
the Anarchists was evident bat there was
lust then such bitter public feeling
against the n and Red Lena and her gang
had become 50 notorious that the An
archists did not dare show any oper
anxiety or in fact make a single move
IL looked TO me either one OF two things
either they had suddenly concluded tha
the place was too hot for them and haC
fed to another part OF the country, Of
else they were in hiding to keep out 81
the way until the bitter feeling agains
them caused by the riot had subsidized
al got no trace OF them for week